TVLine has learned exclusively that on the heels of a drama-filled opening salvo of Season 7 episodes, ABC’s Castle will lighten things up with an “alternate reality” escapade that poses the provocative question: What if Rick and Kate had never met?

The specifics of what tees up this season’s reality-twisting sixth episode are under wraps, but series regular Jon Huertas, who plays Detective Javier Esposito, says it his favorite installment of the upcoming run.

Seeing as the season opens with the mystery of Rick’s “death” and what really happened to him, uncorking a new piece of mythology along the way, “The first couple [episodes] can’t bring too much comedy,” Huertas tells TVLine. “But this ‘alternate universe’ is classic Castle, where you mix a great procedural crime with comedy.”

Huertas says the hour will imagine “a completely different world” where all of the major characters exist, but in rejiggered ways. “It was a lot of fun, getting into that script and seeing how we might all be a bit different,” he shares. “It’s a really fun episode, and people are really going to enjoy it. It’s one of those episodes where you have to laugh.”

Alternate reality episodes of course are nothing new to TV — ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy itself has employed the narrative device twice, The Big Bang Theory last winter contemplated Sheldon’s non-existence and, going back further, Friends, Buffy and Felicity are among the many that have staged “What If” episodes. And then you have one of my favorites, Star Trek‘s “Mirror, Mirror.” (“In every revolution, there is one man with a vision!”) Still, I would posit that “alt reality” outings are never not entertaining, and sometimes even illuminating.

so castle will realize what his life would be like if he’d never met beckett and it’ll end with them getting married in the last 3 minutes, because they don’t want to waste any more TIME in their LIVES. gotta love needing an alternate reality to bring about something that should’ve happened last season.

I’m afraid you’re right regarding the 3-minute-wedding.
I assumed before that the wedding will be held at the precinct & didn’t know what to make of it, but a wedding after 35 minutes of alternative universe? Could be even worse.

Don’t get me wrong: I like the AU-idea in itself, but I’d hate to see the long awaited Caskett-wedding squished into the very last short scene.

Argh, my imagination is runnig wild & I don’t like any of its directions…

I’d like it to be longer than 3 minutes, but let’s face it. Castle is a procedural. There’s no way they were ever going to spend an entire episode on the wedding. There was always going to be a case-of-the-week in any episode they tie knot.

This is what I keep telling people. There was never gonna be a whole episode on a wedding. If there had been, they’d have ended up solving a crime during the darn thing, or stopping for the wedding, then figuring out practically at the alter that they know who the killer is and running down it after quick I Dos, leaving the guests baffled. Nothing about this would’ve been normal so people complaining as if it should’ve gone off without drama confused me no end. That said, I don’t know that it’d be 3 minutes at the end of the ep either. It just won’t be an hour of love eyeballs, a guest doing a poetry reading, and watching people dance and eat cake.

that would match them right, running down the aisle after the “I dos” funny. we already had most of the wedding in season 6-over a few esp. all they have to say is I do…..we heard the vows-to each other (team spirit-Castle, BOTB-Beckett’s letter to him), Martha excepting her to the family and wedding dress(es) and tux. And they only wanted each other there. I think small wedding…….halfway through esp. a Party later on with all.

They’ll be married at the end of the new mythology set up arc (episode 2 or 3?). They were already getting married it so it won’t be a sudden realization and tacked on to a comedic episode. I hope they don’t spend too much time on the wedding. Five minutes at the end will suffice me (unless they extend an open bar to my house.)

I won’t mind an episode like this, in fact as a comic book lover I always loved the AU comics of my fave super heroes. However, I will like an episode like this more if Castle and Beckett are already married. Don’t waste an episode on something like this if Castle and Beckett haven’t already walked down the aisle after a being bat and switched and jerked around in the season six finale.

Sounds like the writers have nothing else left to write. Sounds boring just like the past couple of seasons have been. ZzzzzZzz. I bet you they’ll tag on some awkward, boring Caskett scene at the end to make us all feel better. Ugh.

Boring like the past couple seasons? Can’t be that horribly boring if you not only watched them but are still trolling around on spoiler articles about the show as well.

But back to the real topic.
I always enjoy the slightly whacky ones. You know when everything is turned around and the actors get to show that they can actually act in many different ways.
This might lead to the wedding finally happening and I wouldn’t mind if it’s just a short ceremony. We’ve seen enough of preparations for five weddings by now, haven’t we? We don’t need to see that all again anyway.

Who goes on spoiler articles to gripe about being bored? I mean watch an episode, be critical, it’s a free country, but if you don’t like it at least don’t taunt yourself with things about a show you already know you’ll hate. Maybe the show wouldn’t be as boring if they weren’t spoiling themselves and then stewing about it. I agree with Moshai, some folks just come to complain. Not everything they do on the show’s gonna be the best thing ever and that’s true of pretty much all shows, but the spirit of the thing is always there and the people I’ve enjoyed for years now are still doing it with as much enthusiasm and care as I could ask. I like to commune to share the joy of watching a show, not wallow…unless it’s the HIMYM finale. Then I’m happy to wallow.

I mean, I already knew the majority of people on here were the most miserable fans in existence, but I’m now convinced some of you guys post on here solely to complain. We only know the genre of an episode that’s not going to air for two months and yet half the people here have already deemed it a failure and have whats going to happen in the episode all planned out.

Oh I’m sorry I didn’t know we cant voice our own opinions. I’m a huge fan of Stana and she’s doing a fabulous job… I’ve always been a Castle fan and will watch it till the end… so sorry if you’re all butthurt that I find the past couple of seasons boring.

But you know what’s getting kinda STALE calling people who havent enjoyed certain aspects of the show trolls or telling people quit watching the show.

How can you find it boring if you think Stana’s doing a fabulous job? She’s the reason I watch too and her performances are the reason it’s NOT boring. Personally, season 6 has been my favorite since season 3. This is not to bash you, call you a troll or anything. That just seemed contradictory to me.

You know what IS actually stale? Using the made-up word “butthurt.” You’re not doing your generation any favors there. If you can’t think of anything more intelligent to use, then might I suggest you check out m-w.com? It’s full of great adjectives that, when used properly, won’t make you sound like a moron. That aside, I agree with your right to express your opinion of how you like or don’t like a TV show.

So we get to see the answer to the question Kate asked in a Linchpin deleted scene. That should be fun! I enjoyed the first Grey’s Anatomy what if episode and I love the Friends one. I’m looking forward to this.

Ok. This is actually making me very very nervous. Lately their brand of funny has not been my brand of funny. Esp Jon’s and the writers.

This is so…..I dnt know what to think abt this. This show IS CASKETT. People watch it FOR Caskett. How much of that will we get in this ep?
I adore post couple Caskett, so I kinda don’t want to go back. Also who knows what bizzare backstories they will cook up now esp in terms of romantic relationships….ughh no. I hope I’m just being over dramatic and this won’t be a disaster. I just want my weekly Caskett fix. Sigh.
Very very scared of this ep.
I’ve only seen Friends AUs and I hated those.

Yes, the show is Caskett. And it’s likely going to show us that they would be unhappy without each other and would still end up meeting and falling in love, even without the string of murders that first brought them together.

Except… Bones’ AU episode where Booth is in a coma and dreams along with Brennan’s book (Season 4 finale, “The End in the Beginning”) was a pretty significant turning point in how their relationship develops, specifically in how Booth comes to finally recognize his feelings for her. Obviously, with Castle and Becket already together, it won’t be a “holy hell – I *do* love this woman” moment, but, depending on how the AU is incorporated (e.g., if it’s experienced on some level by any of the characters), it could change/deepen/affirm/whatever their relationship.

Yeah I would hope that they’d be smart enough not to do anything stupid like that but then again they did screw up Beckett’s “one & done” storyline by making her an idiot who didn’t realize that her marriage in Vegas was real so………

Ewwww. Just Ewwww. We all have a vision of them being bro&sis. If they go with this it’s the end for me deleting every thing. Sorry I ever watched the show. Already married part was a punch. This is like throwing acid on face and laughing. No no no!
I Want to see that c&b are incomplete w/out each other. And somehow keep meeting e/other. Kill espo. I don’t like him anyway he is just showoff.

IDK. Remember, Castle was pretty blocked as a writer before he met Kate. He could’ve gone down a dark hole.
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I could see him writing for a procedural show, not full time or anything, but maybe consulting. And not making a lot. With Alexis having had to move in with her Mom in LA, and her being wildly different. An LA party girl, struggling actress, and not being in school, and not being friends with her dad. And Martha glomming on to a series of rich dudes.
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Kate could be dark as well. Or not dark really. Just gray. No friends, no social life, no fun. Just the job, then home, then the job. There is a lot of subtle humor there that could be really well done.
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If they try to make it too obviously funny, it won’t work. There is a lot of humor in showing them not doing so well.

Actually Rick might be a bigger writer, as he would have easily accepted the offer that came in Season 2’s episode 5 or 6, as it would probably have still come after a time, considering they did show that he was already doing quite well, but in personal life, he would have lost Alexis, become a drunk, Martha would have left too, while Beckett would also might have been a drunk.

He won’t have written Nikki Heat because he never met Beckett. She was, after all, the inspiration for Nikki Heat. But you would think he got offered the Bond franchise more for Derrick Storm than Nikki Heat anyway.

maybe for Castle he could teach at a college, or write other literature
as for Beckett maybe go to the supreme court or become senator
to many ways with this story and for love lives……ummm…..could happen I suppose.

I was going to say this sort of thing is par for the course for these kind of shows but the ever knowledgeable Mr. Mitovich beat me to it :) but I agree they are usually entertaining. Should be fun to see Castle without the influence of Beckett.

Yeah I would hope that they’d be smart enough not to do anything stupid like that but then again they did screw up Beckett’s “one & done” storyline by making her an idiot who didn’t realize that her marriage in Vegas was real so………

I suspect they will have completely different lives (Rick on his 5th or 6th marriage and Beckett wound tight as a drum).. But by end of episode they will have their meet cute and all will be well. Together in any universe. #caskettalways

Mark my words Castle and Beckett will be husband and wife by the time the credits roll. I am so so excited for the AU episode. Could be really fun and interesting. The episode will show you how much Castle and Beckett have changed since meeting each other.

My thought is the alt reality is *before* the second wedding ep. Because Castle isn’t just any procedural. Shows like Cold Case sidelined the private lives of the cast in favor of the case of the week. Obviously, not the case with Castle. Likely, the alt reality will have something to do with the case of the week, and while not solved in the alt reality, it will be when we get back to what the timeline really is. *Then* we’ll get an ep with the second wedding.
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Honestly, though? The idea of them going to the courthouse with witnesses fresh off a case isn’t the worst idea, *if* they go that route. I mean, we already got them having the big wedding, and you saw how that turned out. If they use the wedding a framework around the alt reality (“What would we be like now if we’d never met?”), it’ll feel less like a repeat. Predictable, maybe, which is why I don’t think that’s it. Castle strives to be *un*predictable. They may not always hit the mark, but they try, which is more than can be said for the average procedural.
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Hmm. Or they do something we aren’t expecting at all, but is oh so good. I *love* that idea.

I respectfully disagree. It will be the episode after they get married. They will be on their honeymoon and they’ll be so happy to finally be married. Castle will joke about how he’d hate to see what happened to Beckett if he never entered her life. Then she’ll say “oh yea what about your life if you never met me?” It will be kind of like the clip show they did when Beckett was standing on the bomb, except the clips will be the alternate reality. Either way it should be fun.

I would love to have an alternate universe where S6 finale didnt happen, Also getting real tired of being jerked around, I have been a loyal fan since Season 1 Ep 1 , and have come to my limit with press releases, cliff hanger endings (that add no value to the story). And if they do get married at the end of this episode, it had better be good and not a rushed 3 minutes

People who are looking for a ton of time devoted to the wedding are setting themselves up for disappointment. This is a procedural. This is not fanfiction. The wedding episode, whenever it is, will not be devoted to watching them say I Do, taking pictures, eating their cake, etc. It likely *will* be the last couple minutes of an episode.

I think now the frustration is more abt get them married already. They spent a whole season selling a wedding that didn’t happen so people are bound to get impatient.

I agree anyone expecting a full wedding ep in up for sore disappointment. To me the time is not imp. I just want to see them say their vows and just have that happy moment, no matter the place or time.

I have to say Bones had a beautiful long wedding so it’s not impossible.

I think it will depend how far they go back. If Kate’s mom is not dead, she is probably a lawyer. If mom is still dead, she is the brooding unhappy cop. Castle, I agree, no matter what is writing the Bond books.. And unhappy it is not based on his own character/s. He is probably remarried to Gina (and miserable) or he has been remarried several more times. I think they end up meeting anyway and the original chemistry is there. It would be fun if they hook up right away in the AU.. Since it took so long in the “Castle”
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As much as I’d love them all to go against type (Martha happily married, Alexis a school drop out) I think the point of the episode will be how they belong together, have grown because of each other and how far they came from the beginning.

An interesting take would be if one of them knew, in the alternate universe, they are in an alternate universe. A Mr. Destiny type thing. How does one react to a different life with all the same players. I think this is a better setup for one of them to realize they don’t want to wait any longer to get married.

I’m always game for these sorts of eps. Its filler but its an enjoyable type of filler. I hope they get creative with where these characters would be at if something different had happened. I hope they aren’t miserable. I would love to see the edgier, wittier Castle of the first few seasons back, even if it is just for one episode.

I love the show, but always hate the fillers episodes. Every time I watched one I have the feeling that the writers didn’t have any ideas anymore and just wrote something. That Jon says it will be fun is for me personally not a good sign, because until now I have disagreed with everything he said in the media about episodes.

So what we are going to see now? Castle still the bachelor with a hot blonde. And Beckett? Together with Vaughn? I think I am going to skip this one, lately all the episodes that people from the show have claimed as fun, was not fun at all for me. Like that stupid storyline of the finale that was supposed to be funny.

Looking forward to seeing this new episode and seeing where the season will go. Have been a castle fan for a little while but have already seen every episode and have many of them recorded so I can watch castle whenever I want. Love this show and can’t wait to see where it goes and hope it stays around for a while.

I hear Terri Miller wrote this episode! Can’t wait! Her episodes are some of my faves. Who cares if you have to wait for the wedding or if it happens this episode or not. Love Caskett — whatever keeps the show going!

Umm am I the only one who is thinking Castle and Beckett’s roles might be switched? Castle is the hard core detective with Martha dead and his father AWOL, and Becett is the big hot shot writer? Espo could be in in love with Lanie like Ryan is with Jenny in the real-verse and Ryan is a total player in love with Jenny the morgue tech? Alexis never exists as Castles daughter but is either Beckett’s or another cop or something? I feel like they would totally do this, anyone else?

I don’t think Rick and Kate are going to get married. I think viewers are being jerked around. I didn’t like Season 6 finale and from the spoilers I’ve seen I don’t like them either. This Alternate universe esp sounds stupid.

Well to paraphrase Sorkin, you can sit there being wrong in your wrongness. They’ll get married, it’s just about when. Your ‘being jerked around’ implies they haven’t planned this out a long time ago and worked out character development and plot points–you know, like a legit drama ‘n stuff. Just because you don’t know the answer doesn’t mean there’s not an arc. An arc constitutes storytelling, not game playing. They do what they do because they think you’ll get more out of it this way, you’ll have a better time with this story. If they sincerely believe that, you’re just being a Debbie Downer and punishing yourself. Much easier to decide to enjoy the ride. I’d either stop reading/watching spoilers if I were you and just take things as they come, or find some sort of inner peace instead assuming the worst about the writers’ intentions.

yes! finally. It is difficult to believe that if these murders had taken place, that Beckett who was such a fan of Castle’s books, those that she escaped with after her mother’s murder wouldn’t take the opportunity to meet the author. And, Castle who seems so bored with his life, had killed off his main character and was contemptuous of the lady’s man role, wouldn’t, if he saw a news article on this murders, approach someone in NYPD and eventually meet Beckett. So, in my thinking the changes in the story for them not to meet would have to be that these murders never took place (Episode 1) or more importantly, the factor that has driven Beckett, that her mother was murdered didn’t occur, she didn’t read his books as an escape mechanism and continued on with her original plans. I agree, she would be, at least, a practicing attorney–graduate of Stanford Law. When I began to consider what Castle would be doing, it suddenly became clear why we need to learn more about Castle–we really don’t know much about him, his goals, education, motivations, etc. I originally did not want the season to empathize him, but guess it should. Anyway, he’s unhappy with his writing, he’s unhappy with his social behavior. We do know he loves language, words, is smart, likes scrabble and loves to solve puzzles. I say he designs crossword puzzles for the NY Times. :]

Anyway, LibbiRing, I’m glad to approached this way, really thought we couldn’t eliminate the murders as a factor, but agree that them not meeting or meeting is solidly linked to those first ‘copies’ from his books.

I’ve got more to say about these ‘funny’, unusual episodes. Most definitely not the ones I enjoy. We’ll see what happens.

Really interested to see where this goes, given the relative lack of quirky Castle’y episodes since the likes of Blue Butterfly & Final Frontier aired. The only recent episodes with at least a little bit of that unique Castle flavor was last season’s Time will tell & The Way of the Ninja. Hopefully this will charm us the way Blue Butterfly did!

WHY WOULD THEY TAKE BELIEVE OFF THE AIR? THATS STUPID.IT’S A GREAT SHOW IT KEEPS THE KIDS INTERESTED WHILE PARENTS LIKE IT TOO. MY FAMILY WAS HAPPY FINALLY THERE WAS A FAMILY FRIENDLY TV SHOW FOR FAMILY NITE THAT WE CAN DISCUSS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT .I THINK IT WAS A GREAT SHOW FOR FAMILY’S INSTEAD OF POLITICAL SHOWS.BRING IT BACK. ..

Something wrong in Castle world, Beckett went sonic the hedgehog to find him then believed too quickly that he vanished on purpose. Having risen from the undead, an amenisac Castle is as estranged from Beckett as she seems from him by the premiers end. Unless this is a double whammy with 3XK posing as Rick with everyone is playing alone out of fear and hope to find him if not what we’re they thinking. The new season is off disastrously, but this is what occurs when the Kamikaze impulse hits a producer and series writers, one need to only look at the last season of House to see why. Castle’s fun was the romance, the mischief, the serious moments along quirks of its characters which was why it was different than other crime shows that are on today.

My daughter got me watching Castle in season six and I have enjoyed it immensely. I now own the first 5 season DVD’s. The show really doesn’t disappoint me in any way, it’s mostly fun and entertaining. My favorite part of this show without a doubt is Nathan Fillion. He’s ruggedly handsome to say the least!